Saint Louis University Inaugurates 34th President
Maggie Rotermund
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ST. LOUIS - (Nov. 5, 2025) — Saint Louis University officially inaugurated Edward J. Feser, Ph.D., as its 34th president in a ceremony today. Feser, a Jesuit-educated leader in higher education, assumed the presidency on July 1.
Themed “Igniting Hope, Growing in Community,” the inauguration celebrated the light of hope that inspires this moment and the new possibilities we can cultivate — together — in service to the greater good. The ceremony included a welcome address from Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe and a keynote address by Holden Thorp, Ph.D., editor-in-chief of the Science family of journals, professor at George Washington University, and a member of the Saint Louis University Board of Trustees.
Reflecting on the University’s 207-year history, including moments of both great achievement
and difficult reckonings, Feser said SLU’s enduring strength lies in its willingness
to grow with humility and courage.
“Our belief in progress — grounded and humility, but bolstered by courage and optimism
— is essential,” Feser said. “We are a university which strives to own its mistakes,
to write its wrongs, to bridge divided people, to close the gap between falsehoods
and truth, to pursue rigor and excellence in all things, and to do right and to do
good for our students, our city and our country.”
Throughout his remarks, Feser focused on students, noting that SLU’s top priority
must always be the whole education and success of every student and adding that graduates
are the University’s greatest contribution to the world.
“We are graced with the opportunity — if we build our own beautiful combination of
teaching, research and service distinctively and with fidelity to our Jesuit mission
— to graduate ethical and inspiring doers,” Feser said. “If we succeed, the future
will be bright for SLU because we will have made it so.”
On Monday, Nov. 3, Feser announced the launch of a new strategic planning process that will guide SLU’s direction through the end of the decade. Expected to be completed at the end of the academic year, the plan will focus on four key areas: enrollment, student success, research and scholarship, and athletics. The planning process will engage the SLU community in identifying bold, high-impact strategies to advance the university’s Catholic, Jesuit mission.
Edward Feser, Ph.D.
A noted scholar of city and regional economic growth and development, Dr. Feser most recently served as Provost and Executive Vice President at Oregon State University, where his accomplishments include increased student access and success, elevated research impact, successful fundraising initiatives, and innovative community partnerships.
Rooted in his Roman Catholic faith and shaped by his Jesuit education at the University of San Francisco, Feser’s leadership journey has been defined by a steadfast belief in the transformative power of education to improve lives and contribute to thriving communities.
As SLU president, he is committed to prioritizing the success of every student, building the university’s growing research enterprise with bold choices and focus, enhancing the agility and effectiveness of university operations, and collaborating with community partners to foster a thriving city and region for all.
The son of a National Park ranger, Dr. Feser grew up in the Pacific Northwest and attended a Catholic high school in Red Bluff, California. His wife of 34 years, Kathy, is a civil engineer-turned-educator who has led sustainability efforts for a school district in Oregon. They have two adult children, Jack and Mary.
About Saint Louis University
Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers more than 13,500 students a rigorous, transformative education of the whole person. At the core of the University’s diverse community of scholars is SLU’s service-focused mission, which challenges and prepares students to make the world a better, more just place.